Our 165th Year
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S AT U R DAY, J U N E 13 , 2 0 2 0
SB Zoo to reopen June 23 date announced, online reservations to be required
You can go back to the movies Metropolitan Theatres to reopen two cinemas on June 26 By JOSH GREGA NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
It has been a few months without cinemas, but Metropolitan Theatres is about to start reopening locations June 26 with Camino Real Cinemas in
Goleta and Metro 4 Theatres in Santa Barbara. Films that will play at the theaters during their opening week include the recent releases “Knives Out,” “I Still Believe,” Please see THEATERS on A3 Metro 4 on State Street is scheduled to reopen on June 26, and its marquee lists upcoming movies.
DAVE MASON / NEWS-PRESS
Lawsuit resolved UCSB to pay attorney fees to wrongfully accused former student By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
COURTESY PHOTO
The Santa Barbara Zoo is set to reopen its doors to the general public June 23, welcoming back guests to meet Twiga, the baby giraffe born during the recent closure.
By MITCHELL WHITE NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
It won’t be long before you get to meet Twiga, that baby giraffe born at the zoo by the sea. Twiga, who was born at the Santa Barbara Zoo during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other animals will welcome human visitors when the popular site reopens June 23 to the general public. The Santa Barbara Zoo announced the reopening date on Friday. Several safety enhancements and modifications will be in place as the zoo begins
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its phased approach to safely reopen its doors to the community. The zoo has been closed to guests since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both paid guests and zoo members will be required to make online reservations in advance of their visit, using the zoo’s website, sbzoo.org, to book a timed entry slot. “The only way you’ll be able to get into the zoo is by getting tickets through the website,” zoo CEO Rich Block told the News-Press. “There will be limited numbers per every half hour of how many people can come in,” he said. “We’ll start at 9 in the morning.
Every half hour we’ll have limits on how many people, and it will all be timed admissions.” Visits will be limited to 90 minutes at the start of the reserved time. Any guest who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms within 14 days of arrival is advised not to enter the zoo, and initially the zoo will not allow re-entry to the park. Those who arrive more than 10 minutes before their entry time are asked to wait in their vehicles, and those who miss their arrival time or need to adjust their reservation should Please see ZOO on A10
After a half-decade battle in court, a student who would have graduated from UCSB this year will now be awarded compensation. In a ruling issued on June 6, the Second District Court of Appeal determined UCSB should pay the attorney’s fees to “John Doe,” in the case that gained national media attention as John Doe v. The Regents of the University of California. According to a news release sent out on June 10, John’s civil rights were violated by the university starting in 2016. The case began with an “interim suspension” of the student before he moved into his freshman dorm. His girlfriend “Jane” recorded a video intended for blackmail that made it look like John hit her and posted it on Twitter. This resulted in John’s arrest and transport to a juvenile detention facility. John was barred from UCSB, and an investigation by UCSB’s Title IX office began. Jane later admitted she was never struck by John, but that didn’t stop John from being tied up in court for years as he tried to fight his suspension that took two years to exonerate, clear his record and be a normal college student. In the end, he was ostracized from campus, became depressed and never finished school. The case sparked a massive investigation into UCSB’s Title IX Office by the U.S. Department of Education, resulting in a “Resolution Agreement” and a follow-up report. The Court of Appeal addressed a “litany of abuses directed at John Doe” in the Court Opinion, along with Vice
Chancellor Margaret Klawunn’s concealment of documents and the office’s violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The court’s ruling determined that John was denied due process. Andrea Estrada, the director of news and media relations at UCSB, told the News-Press the administration cannot discuss pending litigation. John’s attorney, Bob Ottilie, deemed John’s eventual court victory “bittersweet.” “The judicial system works. Unfortunately, it often works only if you have a lot of time and money. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the Regents’ victims in these student cases don’t have time or money, so those kids lose,” he said. It is unknown at this time if action will be taken against Vice Chancellor Klawunn or Ariana Alvarez, the director of UCSB’s Title IX Office. However, the University seems to be acknowledging their faults and taking a step forward with entering the “Resolution Agreement,” which aims to ensure Title IX investigations resolve in a timely manner. The school has also appeared to end its practice of barring students amid pending Title IX charges, according to the news release. If nothing else, John has chosen to look at the positives of the court battle that replaced his college career. “I’ve been blessed my whole life. I am thankful we made a difference for the community,” he said. “The people who did this to me at UCSB will remember me more than most students, and that memory will stop them from hurting other young people. I take pride in that accomplishment.” Email: gmccormick@newspress.com
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